The startup ecosystem continues to thrive with significant funding rounds that promise to fuel innovation and expansion across various sectors. This article highlights some of the notable funding announcements in May 2024, showcasing the diverse range of startups that have secured investments to drive their growth and development.
ProsParity Secures $2M in Pre-Seed Round Led by BEENEXT
ProsParity, a fintech platform dedicated to the electric mobility sector, has raised $2 million in a pre-seed funding round. The round was led by global institutional investors such as BEENEXT, Sparrow Capital, All In Capital, DeVC, and Huddle Ventures. Additionally, angel investors including Dr. Ashish Gupta (Co-founder of Junglee and Helion Ventures), Raj Dugar (Ex-Eight Roads Ventures), Dhyanesh Shah (Co-founder of Mosaic Wellness), Abhishek Goyal (Co-founder of Tracxn), and Nitin Kaushal (Co-founder of Country Delight) participated in the round.
Founders: Saurabh Khodke and Anirudh Dhakar
Focus: ProsParity is an end-to-end electric mobility financing platform that enhances compliance, scalability, and agility for lenders. It also facilitates financing relationships for EV dealers and OEMs to support their end-customers.
Use of Funds: The funds will be used to build proof of concept and technology, expand origination networks, and establish a comprehensive partnership network across original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), fleet operators, dealerships, and lenders, starting with Central India.
Portl Raises $3M Led by Bharat Innovation Fund
Portl, a digital fitness and wellness technology startup, has closed a $3 million funding round led by Bharat Innovation Fund. This round also saw participation from existing investor Kalaari Capital and new investor T-Hub Foundation.
Founders: Indraneel Gupta, Vishal Chandapeta, and Armaan Kandhari
Flagship Offering: Portl Studio, a digital platform that integrates AI to provide personalized fitness and wellness experiences directly in users’ homes, luxury hotels, and gyms.
Use of Funds: The latest funding will accelerate product development, market expansion, and enhancement of AI systems. Portl plans to broaden its product range, introduce connected strength systems for users of all fitness levels, and expand its customer base both in India and internationally.
ah! Ventures Invests in Agritech Startup Agrilectric
ah! Ventures has invested in Agrilectric through its First Gear Platform, which supports startups in raising up to Rs 1 crore ($150,000). This marks one of the many investments ah! Ventures has made, bringing its total investment portfolio to Rs 437 crore ($54 million) with 17 exits and 55 follow-on rounds.
Platforms Offered by ah! Ventures:
First Gear: Helps startups raise up to Rs 1 crore (~$150K).
Angel Platform: Helps startups raise up to $1 million.
High Tables Platform: Helps startups raise $1-10 million.
Investment Portfolio: ah! Ventures has made 221 investments in 130 startups to date.
Freshleaf Raises Rs 1 Cr in Seed Round Led by Inflection Point Ventures
Freshleaf, a premium tea brand, has raised Rs 1 crore in a seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures.
Use of Funds: The investment will be used to expand marketing efforts, increase production capacity, and enhance research and development for new products. This will enable Freshleaf to offer high-quality teas that enhance the tea-drinking experience for modern consumers.
Good Monk Secures Rs 7 Cr in Pre-Series A Round
Superfoods Valley, the Bengaluru-based nutrition startup behind the brand Good Monk, has raised Rs 7 crore in a pre-Series A round. The investment was led by new investors Sharrp Ventures, Thinkuvate, along with existing investors Multiply Ventures.
Founders: Amarpreet S. Anand and Sahiba Kaur
Product Offering: Good Monk offers a range of nutrition mixes that can be added to food without altering its taste, color, or smell.
Use of Funds: The funds will be used to scale its flagship brand, Good Monk, and expand its range of nutrition mixes and instant fruit drink mixes.
The influx of funding in these startups highlights the vibrant and dynamic nature of the startup ecosystem. Each of these companies is poised to make significant strides in their respective industries, leveraging the new investments to enhance their product offerings, expand market presence, and drive innovation. From fintech and digital fitness to agritech and premium beverages, these startups represent the future of their industries, supported by a strong foundation of investor confidence and strategic vision